Thread by @JmeDubya

The biggest story the news seems to be trivializing is the #SuezCanal being blocked by one of the largest container ships in the world Evergreen shipping’s #EverGiven carrying 20,000+ shipping containers from China to the Netherlands.

Golden class ultra large container ship. 1/

During transit north through the #SuezCanal in Egypt as part of a 20 ship convoy, Ever Given lost power and steering during a wind/sand storm and was blown into the eastern bank of the canal by the bow, with momentum grounding the stern on the west side as well. 2/

I cant stress enough how massive this ship is. Twice the displacement of the US nuclear aircraft carriers. When it hit wet sand it doesnt just stop, it plowed along the bank and clearly wedged itself deep in and on both sides of the bow. 3/

This is not a small thing. These are pictures of a Golden Class ship completely empty. It shows just how far the “bulbous” bow extension goes forward of where she is in the sand, and also just how deep, and thus heavily loaded she is now. 4/

The Suez Canal handles 12% of the worlds global ship traffic and the additional distance if its unavailable for travel from Asia to the Atlantic is more than a week in time and thousands of miles in distance.

For 2 days tugs have been trying to unstick the ship without luck. 5/

Today Evergreen hired the largest salvage company in the world, Smit international, to begin preparations to remove the ship which may involve either digging it out, or unloading it, either of which means weeks of closure.

EVERYTHING is about to get very expensive. /6

#UPDATE #EverGiven #SuezCanal

There are three ships behind Ever Given that were also north bound in canal. According to vessel finder, tugs have started moving the first of them YM Fountain back south down the canal in reverse to Port of Suez.

This will be a long term closure.

#UPDATE #SuezCanal #EverGiven

YM Fountain has reached the Port of Suez. Asia Ruby should be next to be tugged back.

#update #suezcanal #EverGiven

Over night Ruby Asia and Maersk Denver have been towed out of the canal. Maersk Denver is reaching Port of Suez now...

I expect ships in great bitter lake will begin clearing canal to the north...

#UPDATE #EverGiven #SuezCanal

I cannot stress how disastrous this is. First third of the ship is wedged in the sand. Reportedly it cant be moved as loaded.

Absolute global nightmare.

Its going to be faster to dig a new channel in this portion of canal, than remove this ship.

https://twitter.com/JonJennings/status/1375153985342992389

https://twitter.com/malte_humpert/status/1375210469363884032